I love this chocolate mug cake made in the microwave. It is so simple to make and the cake turns out moist and delightful. Ready in just a few minutes too!
Mug or bowl cakes are so amazing. They are perfect for portion control as well. The cool thing is you can do it with any flavor of cake mix that you want. You only need 3 simple ingredients to make this fabulous chocolate mug cake. Also if you are allergic to eggs or just don’t eat them, that is okay, no eggs are required.
Maybe you don’t like cake mixes and want to make them from scratch, I got you covered. You can make it either way. This recipe makes enough for 1 serving or for one person.
When I am craving cake and don’t want to make a whole cake, I just make a mug cake and start to finish I am eating cake in less than 5 minutes. Pretty awesome!
If I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Gather the ingredients and tools
In order to make this yummy chocolate mug cake you will need just 3 ingredients:
- Cake Mix – This will work with most cake mixes. (From scratch recipe listed below)
- Water – I like to use filtered water since my tap water tastes really bad.
- Oil – A number of different oils will work, vegetable, canola, etc.
Tools
- Mug or bowl (11/12 ounces for normal size)
- Fork
Step 2: How to make a chocolate mug cake
Whether you are making a mug cake or bowl cake the steps will be the same, it just depends on the size of your bowl or mug. Add the cake mix, water, and oil to the mug, and then use a fork to mix the ingredients together.
There you have it, your cake batter is ready to go. Do not follow what it says on the back of the box. Most of the time the cake will call for eggs, but you don’t need them in this!
Step 3: Microwave that cake!
Now it is time to microwave that cake. Place the mug or bowl in the microwave. A small bowl will only take about 1 minute on high. A normal-sized mug will take 1 minute and 30 seconds to 1 minute and 45 seconds on high. This all depends on the wattage of your microwave. If you have multiple mugs or bowls, cook them one at a time.
Once it is done, poke it in the middle with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is ready to go. The mug and bowl will be hot, let it stand for a few minutes before handling it.
Step 4: Add those toppings to your chocolate mug cake
Once the cakes have cooled. You can top them with whatever you like. Frosting, sprinkles, and powdered sugar are some of my favorites. Or you can certainly just eat them plain. Enjoy!
How long does the mug cake last?
Well for me, it lasts about 3 to 4 minutes which is how long it takes me to eat it, haha. But if you don’t want to eat it all in one sitting, just cover it and store it at room temp or in the fridge. It will last a few days.
Can I make this mug cake gluten-free?
Of course! You can use a gluten-free cake mix, OR it is super easy to make it from scratch using the from-scratch ingredients in the printable recipe below. Just swap out the all-purpose or cake flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
3 Tablespoons of gluten-free flour is all you need and then everything else will be the same. And voila! You will have a gluten-free mug cake, perfect for 1 person.
Here are a few more recipes you may like:
3 Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Mug Cake
Equipment
- Mug or bowl
- Fork or small whisk
Ingredients
For a Mug (Full Sized Mug, 11/12 oz)
- 6 tbsp of cake mix use whatever cake mix you like
- 4 tbsp of water
- 2 tsp of canola or vegetable oil
For a Small Bowl (4/5 oz)
- 3 tbsp of cake mix
- 2 tbsp of water
- 1 tsp of canola oil or vegetable oil
From Scratch Chocolate cake recipe
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 tbsp water
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a mug or bowl combine the chocolate cake mix, water, and oil. Mix well with a fork.
- Microwave the mug for 1 minute 30 seconds to 1 minute 45 seconds. Check it with a toothpick, when it comes out clean it is ready.
- A small bowl measurement will take about 1 minute.
- Top with whatever you like such as, frosting, sprinkles, powdered sugar, etc.
Video
Notes
Do you like this recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.
I was wondering, can this be made with double the recipe?
Hi there, sure you can double the recipe. Just make sure you are using mugs big enough. or more mugs. And don’t overfill the mugs with batter. 🙂
one word, AWESOME!
Thank you so much!
Looks delicious. Can this be used in a cake pop maker? I have two young nieces and nephews that like cake pops and I want to get them baking but not make a lot.
Thanks! It depends on your cake pop maker. Is it microwave safe? If so, then I don’t see why not.
Simple recipe, but with awesome flavor. Other recipes reviewed were calling for baking powder, or adding angel food cake mix. But your recipe was dangerously easy…there goes whatever was left of my diet.
So glad you like it, Karen!! 🙂
Brilliant recipe
Thank you so much, Diane! 🙂
Brilliant
Thank you!
I don’t normally comment on these, but I just had to share how much I love this mug cake! Super simple and the best tasting one I’ve ever had; every other mug cake recipe I’ve tried has left me disappointed, but this actually tasted like real cake! I topped mine with some vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, but it was just as good without it when I got to the bottom of the mug! Thank you for this!
Wow, thank you so much, Kate for the comment. 🙂 So glad you gave it a try and liked it! You are so very welcome. 🙂
Very easy to make, turned out perfect but needs cream,ice cream,parmasan custard or yogurt. It’s rather dry, I added 1/2 tablespoon cocoa pdr taste terrific and satisfies my sweet craving after dinner.
Glad you gave it a try.
I don’t know what happened, I did everything correctly and it tasted bad. And some of the mug cake isn’t even cooked! It also made my house smell like expired beans. some parts were good but the rest was gooey and disgusting.
Hello, maybe I can help you figure out what went wrong. Did you check the center of it with a toothpick to see if it was done? If you checked it and it is gooey you just cook it a little longer. There is no reason it should be gooey. It means you didn’t cook it long enough. Times will vary depending on the microwave. What watt microwave do you have?
Very good! My family had German chocolate mug cake this evening.
That is great, Belin! 🙂 🙂